Improvement in revolving fire-arms



. 2 Sheets- Sheet 1,

R. ADAMS.

Revolver.

Na 9.694. Patented May 3, 1853,

NJETEBS, PHOT0-THOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

2 Sheets- Sheet 2,

f R. ADAMS.

Revolver,

Patented May 3., 1853,

Pl q N,PETERS, PHUTOALIYMQGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Ormea,

nonr. ADAMs, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 9,694, dated May 3,1853.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Bc it known that I, ROBERT ADAMS, of King Villia'm Street, in the cityof London, England, gun-maker, a subject ot' thc Queen ot' GreatBritain, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements inRifles and other Fire-Arms; and I, the said ROBERT AD- AMS, do herebydeclare that the nature of my said invention and the manner in which thesame is to-be performed are fully described and ascertained in and bythe following statement thereof, reference being had to the drawingshereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereonthat isto say:

The improvements (exhibited by the drawings) in the construction ofride-barrels of tirearms consist in forming raised ridges on the innersurface of such barrels in place of grooves or the plowedhollows-commonly called rifling, and I prefer to form such ridgesangular, as shown by the section of a barrel at Figure l; but the shapeand number ofsuch ridges may be varied.

a a are the projecting ridges, which are to be made in a helicaldirection, similar to that heretofore resorted to for the grooves. b bare the grooves, which have a considerable extent of wid th as comparedwith the more narrow ridges.

Heretofore the hollows or grooves were narrow as compared With theprojecting parts, and in fact as heretofore constructed the diameter ofthe bore of the barrelwas taken across from the raised or internalprojecting parts, the grooves being external of the measured diameter.

According to my mode of construction the measured diameter of the boreof the barrel is from b to b, the ridges being projecting interiorly. Iprefer to employ three such ridges at equal distances apart; but thismay, as before stated, be varied, and the balls used with such barrelsshould be cast with notches or grooves, as seen atg/y in Fig. 13, to itthe barrels, and I have found that by such means no patches are requiredto be used with the balls.

Fig. 2 shows a side view, Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, Fig. et across-section, of a tirearm constructed on my improved plan; Fig.. 5,separate views of the revolving chambers;

, and Figs. 6, 7, S, and 9 show some of the parts separately of a gun orpistol having my improvements applied thereto.

t is the lube or barrel, ot' anysuitablelength, and Open at each end.The upper part of the barrel, at the back end, is continued at a. Itdescends at right angles, returns, rises again, and joins the under sideof the barrel, `forming in one piece ot' metal a rectangular open ing,in which the series or magazine of chainbers containing the severalcharges revolves, to be successively brought opposite to the barrel aand discharged, as hereinafter explained.

The revolving magazine b is supported by and revolves on the axis b',which slides into a groove on the under side ofthe barrel through therectangular frame c', the rear end ot' it being supported in the backpart of' the frame, which, as before stated, is solid or in one piecewith the barrel, as shown. The magazine or series of revolving chambersmay be readily detached from the opening through the frame by drawingthe axis b out toward the mouth of the barrel. The series of revolvingchambers may be supported on two conical centers, one or both of whichmay be capable of sliding out, so as to detach the series of chambers,as shown in section at Fig. 10. The back of each chamber is recessed,las shown, to receive the nipplrs b2. At the back end of the series ofchambers is formed a ratchet, b3, of teeth, into which the perpendicularratchetimpelling lever or pawl c2 (shown in red lines) works, the otherend of said pawl being connected to the trigger c by the pin o3, whichforms an axis for the sear c', Which takes into a bent or recess, c',formed in the front part ot' the cock or hammer e. When the trigger ispulled back the scar c lifts the hammer to a sufficient height for theaction of the mainspring j to give it sufficient force to explode thecap, and the sear c is thrown out of the recess e by the projectingangular part a5 ot' the cock, as shown, when the cock is forced backtothefullestextent. Thehammerstrikes the cap in a horizontal direction,the striking part passing through a hole formed in the hinder part ot'the frame a. The spring-bolt d, Figs. 2 and 4, when pressed inward,comes against a suitable shoulder or recess formed 011 the hammer-headand retains it back while the revolving chambers are being charged. Theobject of this spring-bolt is to prevent the hammer from discharging thecap by an accidental blow or when disengaging the part b.

f is a spring to return or restore the trigger and parts attached totheir original positions after each discharge.

o4 is a stud on the trigger, which stud enters any one of a series ofrecesses,zz z, Fig. 5, (made on the outer circumference of the revolvingchambers,) atthe time each chamber is brought; in line with the barrela.. The stud retains the magazine in place While the discharge occurs.

bX are collars, which are afixed to and revolve with the part b toreduce the friction on the axis b.

I sometimes make the balls orprojectiles with tangs and Iix thereon aWad or pellet composed of felt or other brous material. Figs. l1 and 12show a ball constructed in such manner. a is the ball, cast with a tang,b. c is the pellet or wad, composed of felt or other d fibrous material,fixed to the ball by riveting down on it the tang after having placedthe Wad thereon. v

I would here remark that it is very desirable to use balls and Wads thusmade and combined with iire-arms constructed as described, as portionsof the paper commonly used are liable to be blown between the revolvingchambers and the barrel, so as to impede the action of the revolvingchambers.

Having herein described the nature of my invention and the manner ot'performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim tothe several mechanical parts separately; nor do I confine myself to theseveral details so long as the peculiar character of any part ot'myinvention be retained. pistol or tire-arm the cock is placed behindand entirely below the top edge or line of sight In my said of thepiece; and in order to gain this advantage and t apply to the pistol amechanism or combination of mechanisms by which the cock can be raised,discharged, and the parts restored during and by a simple back-pull otlthe trigger and release and forward movement of it, a peculiarconstruction and arrangement of the trigger c, the sear, the notch orshoulder c' of the cock, the spring f, and the cock or hammer andmainspring j becomes neces sary, such being exhibited in Fig. 3; and Iwould remark that in connection with sucharrangement of such parts thereis also shown in such figure, and partially in Fig. 5, a peculiararrangement ot' the impelliug-pawl c2, the ratchet b3, the stud c4, andthe notchesz z z, or, in other Words, of the machinery by which therotation and locking of the magazine are effected. The pawl should bepressed toward the ratchet by a spring suitably applied, as seen at s2.

I claiml. The improvement of combining with the frame a and the hammer ethe spring d, for holding the hammer back, as stated.

2. The sear o', attached to the trigger by a swivel-joint and acting onthe hammer c, substantially as herein described.

3. The stop or projection c4 on the trigger, for holding the chambers inposition when tiring, substantially as herein described.

ROBERT ADABIS.

Witnesses: l

JOSEPH MARQUETTE, WILLIAM EWING.

